peace and good!

Pictured: Brother Joe (the elder)’s birthday shenanigans. The date for my first vows is approaching very quickly. On July 15th I will leave the novitiate, and on Friday, July 21st I will take my first vows as a Capuchin brother. The vows are a commitment to God of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the presence … →

It has been a long time since I last wrote. These past few months have been particularly fruitful. There have been some difficult times. My Dad has undergone health issues, which brought me back to Wisconsin for a few days. Thankfully, the situation has improved dramatically since that time. More recently, I was hit by … →

This post was originally published on the Capuchin Franciscan Vocation Blog: It has now been over six months at the novitiate. What are the possible symptoms of such a prolonged stay in the realm of contemplation? One might very well acquire an outlook of prayer, gentleness, and silence. Perhaps half of a year of novitiate … →

This post was originally published on the Capuchin Franciscan Vocation Blog: It’s 10:07 AM on a balmy Friday morning in Southern California. The air in the colorless multi-purpose room is tense, yet sedentary…and a little bit stinky. “B,” faces begin to scrunch up, necks begin to pivot frantically, eyes race up and down the fatefully-laminated … →

This post was originally published on the Capuchin Franciscan Vocation Blog: Today, we had a silent day of recollection at the novitiate. At one point, we were told to go out and meditate on the crucified Christ (a very Franciscan subject). So, I went out and sat on the road with my rosary's cross to … →

This post was originally published on the Capuchin Franciscan Vocation Blog: This is by far the strangest thing that I have ever done. I have taken up the religious habit of the Capuchin Franciscans. Here’s what a typical person might say about me: “Why would any healthy, (mostly) sane young adult male start walking down … →

Capuchin novitiate in Santa Ynez, CA In two weeks, I will be a novice. I have spent the past year discerning whether or not I want to spend my life as a Capuchin friar. This process was called postulancy. It afforded me the opportunity to live with the friars and participate in their life, especially in its active … →

“You are going to put on a performance.” It was 10am on Thursday morning. We, six Capuchin postulants, were cleaning the craft room. This particular craft room happened to be located in the basement of our ministry site: a nursing home run by the Little Sisters of the Poor. And who exactly was informing us … →

Unidentified Painting by Georg Guðni Hauksson (1961 – 2011) I am moving forward through a difficult period. I am transitioning. I have moved to a new stage in my formation as a Capuchin. This transitional stage lasts until July. I can chalk up some of my inner turmoil to this natural process of transition. However, … →